Fountain type fluid applicator



Dec. 23. 1969 Afc. s. CHENNELL. 3,485,563

FOUNTAIN TYPE FLUID APPLIGATOR Filed Sept. 28, 1967 I I 1 INVENTOR A. C. S. CHENNELL A TTORNE YS United States Patent O 3,485,563 FOUNTAIN TYPE FLUID APPLICATOR Alwyu C. S. Chenuell, 17 Morrison Ave., Mount Royal, Montreal 16, Quebec, Canada Filed Sept. 28, 1967, Ser. No. 671,412 Int. Cl. A46b 11/02 U.S. Cl. 401--183 6 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An applicator for liquids having a brush head, a squeezable liquid container and a liquid feed tube assembly between the container and brush head and a tube extending from the brush head into the bristles of the brush head, the shape of the tube within the container ensures that its open end will be within the liquid in the container when in use This invention relates to applicators used to distribute liquids on the surface of articles and particularly to fountain type brushes or applicators which include a squeezable liquid container.

Many attempts have been made to provide a satisfactory type of brush which can be used to distribute liquids on surfaces without much success, as the means for feeding the liquid to the brush utilized either a gravity feed or a large tank or reservoir, which was pressurized.

Present paint brushes, marking or stencil brushes use rigid handles. In using most of these, however, the bristles are dipped in paint or marking material, then it is applied to the article to be painted or marked. The handles of some of these brushes, however, consist of a rigid container, with an orifice leading to the bristles of the brush, or to an absorbent pad. Some have more or less cornplicated control valve devices to regulate the liquid supply. Such brushes are limited to the use of light or volatile uids and are expensive to manufacture, or do not provide positive Huid control. They are not suitable for thick or viscous fluids such as paint, etc.

The present invention seeks to overcome the above disadvantages and consists of a brush head and a squeezable uid container, with demountable liquid feed tubing between the container and the brush head. The tubing is in sections, that making the connection between neck of the squeezable container and the brush head consisting of a pair of telescoping rigid tubes, while the connecting tubing in the interior of the container, and that penetrating into the bristles of the brush are of flexible material such as polyvinyl chloride or other suitable material resistant to the ingredients contained in paint or marking material.

For small size brushes, the container can be squeezed in the hand of the user, while in larger size brushes a hand grip can be tted to the brush assembly, leaving an area of the container free for squeezing against the hand grip.

The flexible portions of the tubing can be readily replaced by tubing of varying size depending upon the type of liquid being dispensed or the quantity of liquid desired at the bristles of the brush. Provision can also be made for replacement of the flexible tube within the container to suit the attitude in which the brush is to be used, whether on vertical 'Wall or ceiling surfaces or on floor or table surfaces,

The various elements of the brush assembly `can be quickly dismantled for rapid and thorough cleaning to an extent which is not possible with similar type brushes hitherto in use.

Painting can be accomplished on any surface without dipping the bristles in paint and removing the excess paint each time it is necessary to replenish the supply of paint to the bristles. Painting time is therefore etectively used ICC in the actual brushing or painting operation as the paint is supplied to the bristles of the brush under control of the operator as required by eliminating unproductive movements to obtain fresh paint supply.

An object of the invention is to provide a paint or marking brush equipped with a reservoir that is not limited by the volatility of the liquid.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple means of obtaining positive control over the supply of the liquid to the surface to be painted or marked.

A further object of the invention is to provide means to supply Huid directly to the surface to be covered or to that part of the brush Where it is needed for distribution.

A further object of the invention is to provide an eilicient brush Iwhich is simple, easy to manufacture, easy t0 use and to clean.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fountain type brush which can be used above, level with or below the level of the grip of the brush by the operator.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed specification and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a vertical elevation of a paint brush according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a Vertical sectional view of the brush shown in FIG. 1 taken on the line 2 2.

FIG. 3 is a detail vertical section of the cap of the liquid container and rigid tube secured thereto.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section of an alternative form of liquid feed tube from that shown within the container in FIGS. l and 2.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of a hand grip for attachment to the brush shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 6 is a plan view of the hand grip shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view showing a retaining ring having a pad iitted thereto in place of the bristle brush shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings the fountain type brush 5 consists of a brush head 6 and a liquid container 7 connected together by a telescopic tube assembly 8.

The brush head 6 consists of a block 9 of wood or other suitable material, The bristles 10 are set in a base 11 of rubber or other suitable material in well known manner and anchored in the metal retaining ring 12. While the brush head 6 is shown as circular, it is to be understood that the brush head can have a flat configuration of well known type.

The liquid container 7 is preferably made of a suitable plastic material which is squeezable and resistant to the various ingredients normally contained in paints and other marking liquids. The container 7 includes a body portion 13 and is lillable through the opening 14 in the neck portion 15 when the brush is at least partly disassembled. The neck portion 15 has a thickness which makes it substantially rigid, and is moulded 'with an external thread 16. A closure cap 17 is threaded over the neck portion 15 of the container.

The telescopic tube assembly 8 consists of an outer tube member 18 and an inner tube member 19 in close sliding t with each other. The outer tube member 18 is secured at an intermediate portion of its length, in axial alignment in the end wall 20 of the closure cap 17, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The lower end 21 of the outer tube member 18 in the assembly of the brush extends downwards part Way into the container 7, while the upper end 22 is a force-tit in the bore 23 in the block 9. The inner tube member 19 extends upwards beyond the upper end 22 of the outer tube member 18 and passes through a reduced diameter bore 24 in the block 9 and through the base 11 and into the body of the bristles 10 for a short distance above the base 11. A short length of flexible tube 25 is fitted on to the upper end 26 of the inner tu member 19 and is intended to flex with bristles as the brush is moved back and forwards over the surface being covered with the liquid, paint or other marking fluid. The inner tube member 19 and the block 9 are secured together by the screw 27 passing through the annular wall of the retaining ring 12.

A length of flexible tubing 28 has one end fitted over the lower end of the outer tube member 18. This length of tubing 28 is of a length such that, When assembled as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, its lower end 29 is close to the bottom wall 30 of the container 7 and to the side wall of the container in the manner shown in FIG. l. The lower end of the tube 28 is weighted at 31 to ensure that the end will stay in the liquid even if the assembly is rotated While held horizontally and will not become blocked when in contact with the container walls.

The tube 28 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is suitable for most positions of use of the brush such as on walls and ceilings. However, when used to cover a floor or table surface with paint etc. there might be difiiculty in inducing a flow of paint into the tube if the brush was upsidedown from the position shown in FIGS. l and 2. In order to overcome this diiliculty, a replaceable flexible U-shaped tube 28a is shown in FIG. 4. When the tube 28a is tted in place of the tube 28, the open end of the tube 28a will be submerged in the paint or marking fluid and the paint or marking fluid will be made to flow when the container is squeezed.

In the assembly of the above described brush, the brush head includes the block 9, retaining ring 12 with bristles 10, inner tube member 19 and flexible tube 25 secured as an assembly by the screw 27. The closure cap 17 includes the outer tube member 18 and the flexible tube 28 or 28a.

The inner tube 19 can =be adjusted in the brush or pad and held in the adjusted position by the screw 27. This permits various sizes of heads 9 to be fitted so that a wide selection of brushes or pads can be used. The adjustment of the tube 19 also permits easy fitting of the flexible tube 25 into the desired position with respect to the bristles 10.

After the container 7 is filled with liquid through the opening 14, the closure cap assembly is fitted to the container by first inserting the tube 28 or 28a into the container 7 and then securing the closure cap 17 to seal the container. 'Ihe brush head assembly is then fitted by inserting the lower end of the inner tube member 19 into the open upper end of the outer tube member 18 and, at the same time fitting the block 9 on to the exposed upper end of the outer tube member 418. The brush is then ready for use.

When the container 7 contains fluid and is assembled with the brush as above described, squeezing of the container forces the fluid through the tubes 28, 19 and 25 and into the bristles. When pressure on the container 7 is released, outward flow of fluid is stopped and air is permitted to enter the container through the tubes to replace the paint already expelled. Repeated squeezing and releasing of the container supplies the required quantity of fluid until the container is empty. If air does not enter the container when pressure is released, the container need only be tilted so that the fluid in the container `does not cover the open end of the tube 28. Similar action takes place when the tube 28a is used but is more effective when the brush is used upside-down from the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The brush head can be quickly and efficiently replaced by another type merely by pulling up the brush head, including the inner tube member 19 and fitting on the new brush head.

For large brush and container assemblies a hand grip 32 of the type shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 has been found convenient. The hand grip 32 may include a member 33 forming a cradle into which the container 7 is fitted. An upper extension member 34 having a vertically disposed face 35 is adapted to fit against the outer surface of the retaining ring 12 and be secured thereto by the screws 36. With this assembly it is only necessary to squeeze the exposed surface of the container 7 to induce a flow of fluid to the brush.

The above described brush is easily cleaned after use as the various tubes and other parts can be readily disassembled from each other.

In FIG. 7 there is shown a felt applicator 37 fitted into the retaining ring 12a in place of the bristle brush shown in FIGS. l and 2.

What I claim is:

1. An applicator for controlled distribution of a fluid on a surface, comprising a compressible fluid container having a fluid filling opening and a cap detachably sealing said filling opening, a fluid distributing head detachably mounted on said cap, a fluid applicator on said head, tubular means passing through said cap and forming a fluid passageway between the container and the fluid applicator, said tubular means including a pair of telescoping tubular members, a first one of which is secured to and passes through said sealing cap into the interior of the container, a second one of said tubular members being longitudinally adjustably and detachably secured to said distributing head, a flexible tube secured to said first tubular member within said container, and another flexible tube fitted to said second tubular member for adjustable location within the fluid applicator, said tubular means being adapted to pass a controlled quantity of fluid from the container through said flexible tubes and telescopic tubular members to that portion of the fluid applicator remote from said distributing head.

2. An applicator as set forth in claim 1 in which the free end of said tube Within the container is weighted.

3. An applicator as set forth in claim 1 in which said distributor head includes a bristle brush.

4. An applicator as set forth in claim 1 in which said i distributor head includes a pad.

5. An applicator as set forth in claim 1 in which a hand grip is attached to the applicator.

`6. An applicator as set forth in claim 1 in which the tube within the container is U-shaped and whose free end takes a position within the container adjacent the fluid distributing head.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,304,573 2/ 1967 Stefely 401-278 X 69,882 10/ 1867 Williams 222-211 895,014 8/ 1908 Hansell 401-185 2,729,505 1/1956 Harvey 401--186 X 2,763,404 9/ 1956 Pollnow 222-211 2,770,399 11/1956 Gross Z22-211 2,783,919 3/ 1957 Ansell 222-211 3,075,229 1/ 1963 Rufo 401-186 3,135,990 6/ 1964 Bergmann et al. 401--1'83 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,048,202 12/ 195 8 Germany.

888,091 1/1962 Great Britain.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner H. S. SKOGQUIST, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. XR. 401-156 

